Thursday, November 29, 2018
www.berlincitizen.com
Volume 22, Number 41
Santa arrives in style for tree-lighting By Devin Leith-Yessian The Citizen
Riding in on a fire engine decked out with Christmas lights, Santa Claus came to Veterans Memorial Park Saturday night to flip on the lights on the holiday tree.
By Devin Leith-Yessian The Citizen
Once he climbed down from the glowing tree, which will stay lit until Jan. 1, families lined up to have their picture taken with him in the park’s pavilion and take some free candy canes. The Berlin Kiwanis Club also gave out hot chocolate and a few food trucks also were present for the first time this year. After they got their treats and told Santa what presents they’re hoping for next month, crowds of children chased each other around the park and climbed atop the Santa Claus greets a girl after the holiday tree lighting at Veterans Memorial piles of snow around the parking lot. “It’s great for the family, they enjoy having some time to play with their friends from school,” said Aaron Lanczki. “It definitely gets people to come together.” “It’s definitely good for the parents, to run their energy out,” said Michelle Nowik after her son Henry ran off to join his friends. “I think it’s good that the community does this.” Her daughter McKinley Nowik, 5, said
Developer responds to lawsuit
Park in Berlin on Nov. 24.
Devin Leith-Yessian, The Citizen
she was excited to donate a tea set and big stuffed animal to the food bank. “They’re all excited to see Santa Claus,” said Jim Simons, the town’s fire administrator. The event was put together by the fire department and three volunteer fire companies, which put out boots to collect donations for local veterans.
By the end of the night a pile of toys and food had also accumulated on one of the tables, which will all be donated to the food bank. “It’s very important for the fire department to remain in the public eye … it’s very important for them to do civic things,’ Simons said, adding that it not only shows the value citizens See Santa, A5
In response to a federal lawsuit, a local developer denied he sexually harassed the former town planner and says he was the target of selective zoning enforcement. Developer Thomas Coccomo was named in an October lawsuit filed by former Town Planner Hellyn Riggins. The suit alleges the town created a hostile work environment by failing to address sexual harassment by Coccomo dating back to 2013. “There has never been any sexual harassment by me of anyone at that Town Hall,” Coccomo said in an interview last week. Riggins, now the city manager in Eaglesville, Tennessee, declined to comment for this story. See Suit, A7
Week of events honors veterans
By Devin Leith-Yessian The Citizen
plans to have a second shipment this summer.
at the New Britain Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Local veterans were recognized with a week of appreciation recently, as the town and non-profits hosted events to thank them for their service.
“We met our goal of 400 boxes and then some,” Cote said. “People have been amazing in the town, they’re still bringing donations.”
So many volunteers helped in past years that Cote moved the event from Berlin to have enough space. “The Girl Scouts, the Brownies ; we’ve got everyone here ready to help,” she said.
Hero Boxes, a non-profit in Berlin that sends care packages to soldiers overseas, completed their donation period on Friday, Nov. 16 and received so many boxes that founder Karen Cote
Donations are still being accepted. Those coming in now will be put into storage until the non-profit can get the funding for a second shipment. The 400 boxes being sent out first were packaged on Thanksgiving night
Once in the mail, it takes around a month for the care packages to arrive in Iraq and Afghanistan, just in time Brad Parsons, a trustee with the Berlin VFW, speaks at a for Christmas. See Veterans, A12
Veterans Day ceremony at McGee Middle School on Nov. 12. Devin Leith-Yessian, The Citizen